1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a headgear, specifically to a headgear used in various fighting sports such as karate and boxing, and particularly to a headgear worn on a head portion of a player and used for protecting mainly a face of the player from hits by an opponent.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, in matches and practice of karate and boxing, a player M wears a headgear 61 on his/her head portion so as to protect mainly his/her face from hits given by an opponent as shown in FIG. 6. In a case of a prior-art headgear 61, as shown in FIG. 7, a shock absorbing material 64 is filled between a surface-side skin material 62 and a back-face-side skin material 63 and an opening portion 65 through which eyes of the player M can be seen is formed in the front. The player M continues to play while watching movement of the opponent through the opening portion 65, impacts of the hits by the opponent lessened by the shock absorbing material 64 filled between both the surface-side and back-face-side skin materials 62, 63 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-267313).
On the other hand, at a peripheral edge of the opening portion 65 through which the eyes of the player M can be seen, the surface-side skin material 62 and the back-face-side skin material 63 are sewn together substantially without exposing sewing thread on a surface side. By finishing the peripheral edge of the opening portion 65 by sewing the surface-side skin material 62 and the back-face-side skin material 63 together with the sewing thread and then turning them inside out, a seam of the sewing thread is positioned on a back side of the surface-side skin material 62 at the peripheral edge of the opening portion 65. A periphery of the opening portion 65 positioned right in front frequently receives hits from the opponent and is conspicuous, the sewing thread and the seam between the front-side and back-face-side skin materials are hidden behind the peripheral edge of the opening portion 65 to thereby prevent damage to the sewing thread and increase beauty without making the sewing thread and the seam conspicuous.
However, in the case of the above prior-art headgear 61, it cannot be said that protection of a nose portion of the player is sufficient and also it is difficult for the player to speak or breathe. Reversely, if the whole nose portion of the player is protected sufficiently and also a front face of a mouth portion is opened so that the player can easily speak and breathe, protection of a lower jaw portion becomes insufficient.
Moreover, although the shock absorbing material 64 filled between both the surface-side and back-face-side skin materials 62 and 63 is made thick to thereby recess the nose portion of the player inside the opening portion 65, the nose portion of the player is not covered with the shock absorbing material 64 and therefore the nose portion directly receives a hit from the opponent sometimes.
On the other hand, because the mouth portion of the player is mostly covered with the headgear 61 so as to protect as broad an area as possible of the face of the player, the player feels pressure on his/her mouth portion and has difficulty in speaking and breathing.